Chapter 16.
It was two against one as Seraphina faced the assassins, it would be dangerous to engage in a fight with them before so many people. First, it would blow Demian's identity which was only by miracle had been a secret till now and second, it might cause some serious collateral damage. So, the only option that Seraphina found helpful was, escape.
"We're going to run." She whispered to Demian who stood right behind her.
"Dragons don't run from a fight." He hissed back.
"Well, then go ahead and fight them."
"You are capable to fighting, right? So why do you plan to escape?"
"Are you a daft? Look around there are people here and if anything happens to anyone who will be responsible?"
Seeing Seraphina distracted the two guards attacked and Seraphina noticed this from the corner of her eye. She quickly grabbed Demian's hand as she moved and saw a few sacks on the cart nearby, before any thought she dashed towards it and grabbed one of the sacks and slammed it on the face of the advancing attacker. The cloud of dust rose and Seraphina gripped Demian's hand tightly as she made a run for it.
She could hear the sounds of the people shouting and even the sounds of the wheezing arrows that were probably shot at them. She was praying that they would get out of this place before anyone could get seriously injured. She occasionally looked back at Demian who was gripping his cloak so that the hood wouldn't fall off his head and looked more or less like he was being dragged by a giant wolf. The dirt road which led to the dragon palace came into Seraphina's view and soon they were inside. She almost rejoiced thinking that they might be safe but her hopes were crushed as she felt the ground sinking beneath her feet and she quickly jumped back taking Demian back and looked at the ground around her. How could there be a sandpit in the middle of this dirtroad?
The attackers weren't far and Seraphina couldn't get enough time to breath before she held Demian in a protective corner as she faced the attackers. She clenched her teeth as she looked at the two, although their faces were covered she knew they were thinking that they'd won this fight. But they didn't know that Seraphina wouldn't go down that easily.
The first attacker pounced on her and Seraphina blocked his attack with the sword that she had taken from the prior fallen attacker. The attacker sent a flurry of swift blows and soon the second one joined as well. Seraphina observed their attacks and then thought of a strategy they moved their abdomens and arms a lot leaving their lower bodies vulnerable. She pushed one back and used that moment to duck from the another's attack and kicked his legs from under him, once he was down she stabbed her sword into his chest and he grunted before he stopped moving. The other seemed furious to see this and advanced at a more ferocious speed and it was right in that moment that Seraphina felt the ground beneath her feet clutching at her ankles restricting her movements. She cursed understand her breath as she was stuck to the ground she still blocked the attacks coming her way.
"What the devil is this?" She heard Demian's voice from behind and saw him sinking into the ground faster. The ground had swallowed him till his knees, Seraphina felt her breath freezing in her throat.
Bleeding and rendered to the ground Seraphina was almost losing the sense of rational thinking. She glared at the attacker blinded by the rage, in normal circumstances with this much overwhelming anger a volcano of of violet flames would've swallowed the entire Dragon Forest. But, since there were no flames even after this much then the seal would be strong enough. This made Seraphina even more angrier. She growled and turned the tip of her sword and stabbed the ground near her right foot ripping it to cracks and pulled it out. Even with the full length gown Seraphina pulled a roundhouse kick on the attacker, the movement released her second foot as well and she saw as he stumbled back. She quickly went back to Demian who was almost waist deep into the ground, the ground was marshy around the surface so, Seraphina wrapped her hands under his armpits and started pulling him out. She winced and groaned as the pressure of pulling Demian out strained her injured arm which still had the arrow poking out of it.
"He's coming!" Demian shouted and Seraphina saw the attacker running towards them, in the nick of the moment she did what she could do and with her left hand she gripped the arrow embedded in her arm and threw it right at the attacker. He swiped his blade and cut the arrow off, having failed she just wrapped her arms around Demian and covered him so that she could at least shield her with his body.
Seraphina waited for the blade to slash through her back but somehow the blow didn't come except came the sound of a grunt and a body falling to the ground. Seraphina slowly untangled herself from Demian who breathed deeply, she saw the shadow of a large man standing before her and her eyesight blurred, the fatigue started growing on her along with the throbbing pain. She looked once at Demian's face with a faint smile on her face knowing that they were saved and saw the concern growing on Demian's face as her body lost her will and her eyelids closed and she slumped on his shoulder.
***
The attack had taken them by surprise, Demian wasn't expecting to be attacker in a crowded market place of all places. Regardless of that, this was his first time going to the town and seeing the commoner folk going about their work. It seemed a little annoying when at first Seraphina had started acquainting with the children who were dressed so poorly. They laughed and played with her while he stood aside and watched her despite her multiple calls. She thought he'd 'play' with some village kids? Sure, she must be delirious.
He watched them and felt their laughter echoing in his chest, suddenly he saw Seraphina whispering to the children and they laughed loudly before they all ran straight to him. He watched them with slightly worried eyes as they all gathered around him and gripped his arms and started dragging him towards Seraphina who stood smiling.
"What the devil are you doing? Let go of me!" He shouted as he tried to pull his hands off from their clutches, "Let go! Do you even know who I am?"
His threats seemed useless as the kids laughed, they weren't much taller but their numbers made him get dragged, "It's okay, Danny! We know you are shy that's why you don't want to play." One of the girls with two pigtails said and his jaw fell. Shy? And wait, Danny?
"What are you-"
"Sera told us everything, now you won't be lonely. We'll be your friends along with her." Another boy who seemed to have a snotty nose grinned and Demain felt as if his head would explode.
"Lonely? What are you-"
"It's okay, Danny. You can be our friend, you can even have the apple pie that Thea's mother makes." Another boy said.
"Sure!" The pigtailed girl from earlier squealed in glee and till then, they had successfully brought Demian to Seraphina.
"Welcome." She smiled almost smugly and Demian scowled at her.
"Come on, Danny. Play with us." The kids insisted and Demian eyed them all. They all were grinning and seemed genuinely willing to accept him. It was the first time that he had seen such expressions, he was used to the smug, mocking, disgusted, terrified faces of people around him, even pitiful faces which had made him always think that the people around him only hated him and coped up with him just because he was a dragon prince. But here, these kids had no such obligation, they didn't know who he was and that's why he was seeing such pure expressions which touched his heart. This was the first time he was feeling the kindness and not pity.
"Fine, I'll play." He said as his eyes found Seraphina's and she smiled radiantly.
For the first time in his life Demian had found himself chased by the laughing and shouting kids. He chased behind the kids who easily evaded him and he was surprised to find such swift and lithe children living in this place. The playing session was so, amazing that Demian momentarily forgot that he was a Dragon Prince, he forgot about his curse and even the thought that these were the commoner kids who were chasing after him and grabbing and jumping on him.
This was for the first time that Demian had genuinely laughed so much and enjoyed interacting with the people other than the ones from his palace. After playing for a little more time Seraphina said it was time for them to leave now but, the kids tried to hold them back.
"Aw! Please don't go. You can stay here."
"Yeah."
"My mother makes great food you'll love it."
"Please stay."
Seraphina crouched down to their level and Demian just watched as she talked to them, "I'm sorry that we have to leave for now but I promise we'll come back again."
She turned to look at Demian as if asking for permission and he just eyed the kids who now gathered around him.
"Oi, Danny. You better come back again, I'll teach you sword fighting, my father is a soldier in the Dragon army and he has taught me some tricks." The snotty kid, Gerth said and Demian raised his eyebrows.
"Sure." He replied with a tiny smile and the kids were elated.
They had almost left the town and entered the market place when Demian felt that he had entered in some very noisy place, he moved his hood a little to have a peek at the crowded street. He almost glared at Seraphina as he felt so many people's energies pressing against him. But soon, he started finding it amusing, the oddities being sold at the stalls were something that he hadn't ever seen before and they fascinated him a lot. Even the food that he had with Seraphina was unmistakably delicious unlike what he had at the palace. He could almost had said that his day was amazing but the attack at the end ruined everything and now he had a severely injured and passed Seraphina in his arms.
They returned back to the palace along with Captain Dean Amberheart who had appeared right on time for their rescue. He was extremely surprised when Seraphina suddenly wrapped her arms around him as if to shield him with her body and he felt his heart clench. It was not the pain of the curse it was different, it seemed more alien to him.
After returning to their chamber Demian called for the healers to look after Seraphina, Captain Dean lowered her down on Demian's bed and then left the room on Demian's command. Demian eyed the large wound on Seraphina's arm with rage in his eyes, why risk her life for him? Did she fancy him that much? Impossible! She did it because she was responsible for his life while they were in town. He knew she had lied when she had said that Billard had given them permission to leave the Dragons palace. It was impossible for Billard to let Demian go anywhere with his condition.
Demian eyed her face which had grown pale along with her lips, she had lost a lot of blood and grown weak that's why she passed out. The notion that she was in this state because of him somehow enraged him more and he clenched his teeth. His anger though seemed volatile as he watched her lying on his bed, her curly red hair sprawled all over the black velvet pillow. He slowly reached out to touch her hair when the doors opened.
He turned to look at the first prince Billard walking inside with the line of healers behind him.
"Tend to her." Demian commanded the healers before standing up from the bed and greeting his brother who looked like he would turn into a dragon and blow fire from his mouth any moment. Master Valentine came rushing from behind and stopped a step behind Billard watching Demian with worried eyes.
"Your Highness." He breathed.
"Why?" Billard hissed and Demian eyed him.
"You know very well that you are not in the state of being anywhere without any protection then why were you in the town without any guards?" Billard thundered, Demian was silent for a moment before he spoke up.
"Am I not allowed to go into our own kingdom's small town by myself?" He asked.
"Absolutely not!" Billard's temper didn't seem like it would go down any sooner.
"Fine then," Demian held his head high, "I am ready to take any punishment you give me for going out and seeing the world for the very first time." Billard frowned as he saw Demian speaking so confidently.
"I saw the people going about to their work and saw how they tended themselves on their own. I met the children who didn't have proper clothes on their backs let alone had enough mass on their bodies yet, they accepted me easily instead of being scared of me or pitying me. They made me play with them as their own and for the first time I felt as if I wasn't a cursed person who was despised by everyone. I felt... happy. Even at the market of the town, I saw many things that were completely foreign to me and ate many dishes which I'd never had here. If you want to punish me for the attack that ruined my day then go ahead and do it." Billard seemed to be have taken aback by what Demian had said, Master Valentine himself was in great shock after hearing Demian.
Demian, the ever angry staying prince said he felt happy and he played with the commoner kids? He ate the commoner food? It sure was the mistake of their auditory senses.
Billard didn't speak for a long minute but just eyed Demian who defiantly stared back.
"Punish me," A weak feminie voice suddenly caught their attention and the three men turned to see Seraphina stirring, although she looked barely awake.
"I was the one," She winced tugging her arm from the healer's hands, "who took Prince out without permission."
"Lie back down and let the healers look after your wound." Demian commanded her.
Billard frowned deeply now, and Master Valentine eyed in between Seraphina and Demian, when did the dynamic between them change so much?
"How did she get injured?" Billard asked and his sudden worried gaze fell on Demian who stood looking almost unscathed before him except for being matted in dust and dirt which seemed thicker around his trousers. Billard took a step ahead and took a hold of Demian's hands and looked right into his eyes.
"Are you hurt somewhere?" He asked softly and Demian pursed his lips.
"No," Demian said, "She took the arrow for me."
Billard's eyes widened and he looked at Seraphina who had plopped back down on the bed falling unconscious.
"She... did?" Master Valentine spoke up, the surprise was clear in his voice.
"Yes, despite herself she also fought our attackers on her own." Demian added and Billard's jaw grew slack, Master Valentine seemed to have gone on a train of thoughts.
"Princess Seraphina fought to protect you and even took an arrow for you?" Billard asked and Demian nodded.
"I never expected or asked her to do so. She did it on her own accord."
"That's... surprising." Billard seemed at loss of words, "Her valor surely is worth appreciating."
"That indeed is." Demian said as he turned to look at her.